Track-fastening.



No. 677,342. Patented July 2, 190i. 8. P. DAY 8. C. E. NEAL.

TRACK FASTENiNG.

(Application filed Feb. 9, 1901. (No Model.)

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i h A V UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SHERMAN P. DAY AND CHARLES E. NEAL, OF SELLERSBURG, INDIANA, ASSIGNORSOF ONEIIALF TO JOHN M. MELOY AND AZRO C. ORIM, OF

SAME PLACE.

TRACK-FASTENING.

$PEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,342, dated July 2,1901.

Application filed February 9, 1901. Serial No. 46,680, (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SHERMAN P. DAY and CHARLES E. NEAL, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Sellersburg, in the county of Clark and Stateof Indiana, have invented a new and useful Track-Fastening, of which.the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway-track fastenings, and has for itsobject to provide improved means for adjustably fastening the rails tothe cross-ties, so as to facilitate the laying and removal of therail-sections. It is furthermore designed to provide for convenientlytaking up any looseness in the fastening, and finally to mount thefastening upon a cross-tie, so that it will always be in position forimmediate use.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompan yin g drawings,and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the presentinvention mounted upon a cross-tie. Fig. 2 is a sectional view takentransversely through a rail-section and longitudinally of one end of across-tie. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4: is a detail plan view of one end of a tie with the fasteningdevice removed.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a cross-tie that has each endprovided with an upstanding shoulder 2, which extends transverselyacross the top of the tie and has its inner transverse end undercut, asat 3, so as to form an overhanging wedge-shaped flange. At a suitabledistance inwardly from this undercut shoulder there is provided anothertransverse shoulder or rib 4,Which is provided with a central transverseperforation or opening 5. The normal thickness of the tie extendsoutwardly a predetermined distance from the rib 4, and then the tie isabruptly thickened, so as to form a rail-chair 6, the upper face ofwhich is flush with and merges into the bottom of the groove formed bythe undercut portion of the shoulder 2. In the upper face of thatportion of the tie that lies between the rail-chair and the rib .4:there is provided a longitudinally-disposed substan tially T-shapedgroove 7, (best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings,) the head or widestportion of the groove being arranged adjacent to the rib. As shown inFig. 3, the groove is dovetailed or its edges are undercut, so as toform overhanging flanges. I

The aj ustable part of the fastening is formed by a slidable member orblock 8, which is mounted upon the top of the tie and located betweenthe rib i and the shoulder 9, formed by the rail-chair, the block beingshorter than the distance between these two parts, so as to be slidablyadjustable therebetween. This block extends for the entire Width of thetie and is provided with opposite pendent bottom flanges 10, whichembrace the respective longitudinal edges of the tie to form a guide forthe block in its adjustable movement. A pair of vertical openings 11 areformed entirely through the block for the reception of the respectivebolts or fastenings 12, having enlarged substantially dovetailed heads13 at their lower ends and designed to be entered into the groove in thetie through the entrance-opening formed by the head or enlarged portionof the groove. Suitable removable nuts 14 are applied to the upperprojected ends of the fastening pins or bolts, so as to connect thelatter and the block. By this arrangement the block is slidably'adjustably mounted upon the tie and may also be removed therefrom bydrawing the headed pins out of the enlarged portion of the groove. Theblock rises somewhat above the rail-chair, and the face which isadjacent thereto is provided with an undercut groove 15, the lower sideof which is flush with and forms a continuation of the upper face of therail-chair, while the upper side or wall of the groove is inclinedinwardly and downwardly, so as to form a wedgeshaped wall.

For the adjustment of the slidable block toward and away from therail-chair there is provided an adjusting rod or bolt 16, which passesloosely through the opening in the rib 4t and has a head or.stop-shoulder 17 upon the outer end of the bolt to engage the rib andlimit the inward movement of said bolt. Moreover, this head is angularin shape and lies in contact with the upper face of the tie, so as toprevent rotation of the rod or bolt. The inner end of the bolt fitswithin a socket or recess 18, formed in the adjacent end of the block 8,and an adjusting-nut 19 is fitted to the screw-threaded intermediateportion of the bolt and lying against the inner side of the rib, so thatby turning the nut the bolt or rod may be fed toward the rail-chair,carrying the adjustable clamping member 8 therewith.

To fasten a rail to the tie, the adjustable clamp member is removed, andthe rail 20 is placed upon the rail-chair with one edge of its bottomflange or base seated within the notch or groove in the outer terminalshoulder2 and the opposite edge of the flange projecting inwardly at theinner edge of the chair and overhanging the space between the chair andthe rib 4L. The clamping-block is then fitted to the tie, ashereinbefore set forth, and the bolt or rod 16 is adjusted to force theclamp member or block toward the rail, whereby the inner edge of therailflange is received within the wedge-shaped groove or seat of theclamp, and the rail is firmlyheld between the clamp and the terminalshoulder of the cross-tie. It will be understood that the distancebetween the inner edge of the rail-flange and the rib Lis somewhatgreater than the length of the clamp member in order that the latter maybe drawn from beneath the flange and then lifted from the cross-tie. Itis not absolutely necessary that the clamp be removed from the tie, asit may be merely drawn away from the rail so i as to clear the flangethereof, thereby permitting of the rail being removed and replaced whilethe clamp is upon the tie. Moreover, the weight of the rail is partlysupported by the clamp member, so that the latter has additional meansto prevent accidental upward displacement.

W'hat is claimed is- 1. A track-fastening, comprising a support or base,having a rail-chair, a transverse railengaging shoulder at one side ofthe chair, an upstanding shoulder disposed at the opposite side of thechair and spaced therefrom, arailclamp slidably mounted upon the supportor base and located between the upstanding shoulder and the chair, alongitudinally-adj us'table rod or bolt passing loosely through theupstanding shoulder and having its inner end in operative relation tothe clamp, an angular head upon the opposite outer end of the bolt orrod and lying in engagement with the base to prevent rotation of thebolt, and an adjusting-nut upon the bolt and lying in engagement withthe inner side of the upstanding shoulder.

2. A track-fastening, comprising a crosstie, having a terminal raisedrail-chair, provided with an outer transverse rail-engaging shoulder,which is undercut upon its inner side, an upstanding rib or shoulderlocated at the opposite side of the chair and spaced therefrom, therebeing a substantially T- shaped flanged groove formed in the upperface'of the tie and located between the rib and the chair, the enlargedportion of the groove being located next to the rib, a clamping memberslidably mounted over the groove, and provided with opposite pendentflanges slidably embracing the tie, the inner portion of the upper faceof the clamp being flush with and forming a continuation of therailchair, and also having an overhanging flange to embrace arail-flange, a removable headed pin passing vertically through the clampmember, and provided upon its' upper projected end with a nut, the headbeing slidably received within the flanged groove, and an adjusting-boltpassing loosely through an opening in the rib, the inner end of the boltbeing received within a socket in the clamping member, and the oppositeend having an angular head lying in engagement with the tie, and anadjusting-nut carried by the bolt and lying in engagement with the innerface of the rib.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

his SHERMAN P. X DAY.

mark CHARLES E. NEAL. iVitnesses:

LILLIAN E. CRIM, EVAN EDWARDS.

